PLURderapolis
PLURderapolis
Fentanyl and xylazine test strips are cheap, legal in Minnesota, and take 5 minutes. Here is exactly how to use them. Timer included.
Detect fentanyl and many of its analogs in powders, pills, and residue. The most common strip out there.
Detect xylazine ("tranq"), increasingly found in the Minnesota supply. A separate strip. Fentanyl strips do not reliably catch it.
Neither strip catches everything else that might be in the bag. A strip is one tool, not a guarantee. Keep reading for the limits.
Put at least 10mg in, about enough to cover Lincoln's hair on a penny. Add water and mix well:
Stimulants need more water or the strip can read wrong. And mix thoroughly. Fentanyl does not spread evenly, so the bit you test has to represent the whole bag.
Hold the solid end. Dip the wavy end into the liquid up to the MAX line, not past it. Hold for about 15 seconds.
Set the strip on something clean and flat, then start the timer. Read it right at 5 minutes. Not before, and don't trust it after 10.
Your phone will buzz when the 5 minutes are up (if vibration is supported).
Heads up: strips read backwards from pregnancy or COVID tests. Tap the result that matches your strip:
Two lines means the strip did not detect fentanyl in your sample, even if the second line is faint. Still: it only tested the bit you mixed, and it says nothing about xylazine or anything else. Stay cautious.
One line means fentanyl was detected. Treat the whole batch as contaminated.
Safest move is not using it. If you do: don't use alone, have naloxone ready and someone nearby who knows the signs. See our overdose page.
No control line (or no lines at all) means the test didn't work. Use a new strip and start over. Never reuse a strip.
Test strips are legal to possess in Minnesota. They are not considered drug paraphernalia under state law. Carrying them can't get you in trouble.
Get free strips from the orgs on our resources page. Many mail them or hand them out at events, including our booth.